Tags
Bookmobile, Dusty Old Thing, librarians, New Deal, Pack Horse Library Initiative, Roosevelt, Works Progress Administration, WPA
Dusty Old Thing recently published an article by Rose Heichelbech about The Fierce Female Librarians Who Delivered Books On Horseback During The Great Depression. While everyone’s heard of the Pony Express, this is a rarely-told story. If like me, you’d never heard it, here you are!
The New Deal’s Book Women
In the middle of the Great Depression, not only was America grappling with the tightening of just about every single household budget, but the nation was also poorly connected. At the time most rural areas were without basic services like electricity and running water. As such, these remote areas were often devoid of public institutions like libraries.
Some of the most isolated areas were nestled in the Appalachian area of Kentucky, among other locations. One of the many public programs initiated by FDR’s New Deal was the Works Progress Administration, which funded the Pack Horse Library Initiative. The project hired fierce “book women” (and occasionally men) who were fearless, who loved reading, and who were highly proficient on horseback for the job.
Image: Dusty Old Thing Via/ U.S. National Archives
Beginning in the early hours each day, the book women would deliver and pick up books to those who, in all likelihood, had no other means of gaining new reading material. The goal was to create jobs, but also to boost literacy.
The program functioned by effectively making the book women extended employees of a library already operating in their county. The riders were known in their communities, which is why they were able to do this tough job without getting shot at!
The books and magazines that were used in the project were all donated. Old Christmas cards were circulated as bookmarks so that the already-used books would not get dog-eared by hapless readers.
Unlike a regular library, this program operated in a less formal way. In fact, there exist several photographs of book women reading aloud to their clients, which indicates a great level of care and time dedicated to the project.
Image: Dusty Old Thing. A rare male employee of the program unloading books from his leather pack. Via/ U.S. National Archives
Image: Dusty Old Thing. A pack horse librarian reads out-loud to a man in the Kentucky mountains, 1938. Via/ Wiki Commons
Image: Dusty Old Thing. Pack Horse Library Carrier visiting a man with a gunshot wound. Via/ University of Kentucky
From 1935 until 1943 the project helped to reached about 100,000 people with only 1,000 riders employed as book women over the life of the program. The women used their own horses (or sometimes mules) and were estimated to have covered about 100-120 miles per week.
Among the most popular books were Robinson Crusoe and anything by Mark Twain, although some of the horseback librarians said that the children in the mountains were so hungry for reading material that they begged for any books at all to be brought to them.
At the time it was estimated that, through lack of public resources and crippling poverty, around 1/3 of all Americans did not have reasonable or convenient access to library reading materials.
Image: Dusty Old Thing. Via/ University of Kentucky
The program met its end along with many other New Deal agencies when the WPA was dissolved in 1943- a function of the fact that war work had rendered the program less relevant since people now had jobs. With plenty of decent-paying positions making military equipment, aircraft, and bombs, unemployment was no longer the biggest issue at hand.
Overall, the WPA helped to fund and manage libraries and literacy programs in 45 states and employed nearly 15,000 people altogether. The WPA library programs not only funded the Pack Horse Library Initiative, but also helped to create a houseboat library in Mississippi and the reconditioning of millions of books for service in America’s libraries.
There are currently one children’s picture book, That Book Woman by Heather Henson and David Small, plus two recently released novels based on these librarians: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richards, and The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyers.
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog.
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This is an amazing story. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you, Darlene! I thought so, too 🙂
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Reblogged this on Legends of Windemere.
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I LOVE this!
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Same here! Thanks for reading 🙂
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Reblogged this on Jeanne Owens, author.
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It was such an amazing sacrifice these women made during that time. I read “The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek” last year and it was all about these ladies and the hardships they faced. Fascinating!
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Thanks for that, Jan! Hadn’t heard of that book.
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I left a comment on your other site. Never sure which one to leave it on! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Lol–no worries, Pete! I love both my kids the same 🙂
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It’s a great story, Nicholas. I have actually seen it doing the rounds on Facebook, which was how I became aware of it. Cheers, Jon.
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I’m trying to remember where I first came across it. Probably Facebook, too 🙂
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Reblogged this on Wilfred Books and commented:
There was a time when books were delivered on horseback!
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Nice work, A lot of women’s stories have gotten lost over the years and it’s nice to see these coming to light.
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Hear, hear!
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How amazing is this story, Nicholas! Really never thought about such an enthusiasm. Jennie (jenniefitzkee.com) and Sally (smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com) could also have belonged to these women. 😉 Michael
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Thank you, Michael.
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Thank you too, Jennie! What a wonderful story, with a lot of experiences for me too. Have a beautiful start into the weekend. Dont forget to relax. 😉 Michael
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You are welcome, Michael. This is a great story!!
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Now, there’s a thought 😀
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😀
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There are currently two recently released novels based on these librarians: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richards, and The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyers. There was a bit of bru-hah-hah when these two books were published a few short months apart, but no matter; both are terrific. Much research went into both stories!
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I wasn’t aware of them! Many thanks for that, Claire! I’ll add the info to the post.
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I absolutely love this story, Nicholas. The photos are terrific. Thank you! There is a children’s picture book about these amazing women. Many took the time to read aloud when they delivered the books. Now, if only I could ride a horse well…. 🙂
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I wasn’t aware of the children’s book! Do you remember the title?
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No, but I will try. It isn’t ”The Giver of Stars”, it’s another book. I will work on this. Promise!
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No worries. If you remember it, let me know and I’ll add it to the post. Thanks 🙂
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I found it! And it is an excellent picture book. “That Book Woman” by Heather Henson and David Small. I am reblogging your post and will include the book as well. Best to you, Nicholas, and thank you for an outstanding post.
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I’m adding it now. Many thanks, Jenny 🙂
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You’re welcome, Nicholas. 🙂
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Very interesting post. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you, Don! I’m glad you enjoyed it as much as I did 🙂
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You’re welcome.
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Reblogged this on Marina Costa and commented:
Very interesting to know!
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I just love the idea of ‘fierce book women’! I think I would have done the job if I’d been around there and then ❤
And how enlightened to address two issues at once – literacy and employment – if only this were more commonly applied these days, there might not be such a wasteful use of public funding.
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“Fierce book women” rock 🙂
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What amazing dedication by those librarians!
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They were awesome 🙂
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Reblogged this on A Teacher's Reflections and commented:
There was a little known program between the years 1935 and 1943 under FDR’s New Deal. It was The Pack Horse Library. One thousand women were hired to ride horses and carry saddlebags full of books to deliver to people. This was a way to get books into the hands of people who were poor and had no way to get to a library. It sounds like a cross between the Pony Express and the Bookmobile. Thank you Nicholas Rossis for this excellent post, which includes outstanding and rare photographs.
I first heard of The Pack Horse Library through a wonderful children’s picture book, “That Book Woman”, by Heather Henson. It tells the story of one family’s many visits by the Pack Horse Library woman.
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This is so interesting!
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I’m glad you found it as interesting as I did 🙂
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‘Needs be…’ eh Nicholas! How interesting, and what a hardy group of women to take on the task. It must have been hard going at times. All credit to them! x
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All credit, indeed! A different breed 🙂
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What a beautiful part of the USA’s history.
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Absolutely 🙂
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Hi Nicholas, I am holding a blogging party this weekend. It would be lovely to have you share your wonderful blog post there. I hope you can make it even for a short time.
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That is so kind of you, thank you! What do I need to do? What’s the link?
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Here is the save the date link. But, the actual party link is schedule to go at midnight on friday.
https://thoughtsnlifeblog.com/2020/01/29/blogging-party-at-thoughtsnlifeblog-com/
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Thanks! I’m down with the flu (normal kind, not the Chinese one, thank God), but I’ll do my best to drop by–and not to sneeze on anyone!
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Lol. Will be nice to pop over for a few minutes.
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I love, love, love this story! Just reading it made my heart beat faster. The WPA did a lot of good for our country.
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It’s a shame so few people realize that!
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Wonderful!
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Indeed 🙂
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Reblogged this on Where Genres Collide Traci Kenworth YA Author & Book Blogger and commented:
So interesting! Didn’t know this!
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I’m so glad Jennie saw this information here and shared it on her blog. This is a wonderful piece of history where good comes out of a bad. Thank you for the research and the sharing. Marlene
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Thank you so much, Marlene 🙂
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Wow. Great post, Nicholas. I love the photo of the woman and her horse surrounded by children. The fascination with books is timeless. What a creative and valuable program at a time when it was so needed. Wonderful and uplifting share. 🙂
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Thank you so much, Diana! I absolutely agree 🙂
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Reblogged this on Kim's Musings.
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“The Book Women” obviously had grit, determination, compassion, and understanding while serving their ‘under-served’ neighbors. Helping someone to read positively impacts not only the person your helping but future generations of that persons’ family.
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Oh, absolutely! Hats off to those great ladies!
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